1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to an article of clothing, and more particularly to an improved undergarment of the men's briefs or shorts variety.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The development of undergarments for wearing by men and women has evolved over a period of many years. The use of multi-layering of clothing is, perhaps, as old of a practice as the wearing of clothing itself.
Historically, it has become apparent that a person can obtain many benefits from the wearing of undergarments. These benefits generally include factors of body comfort and protection from abrasion. The comfort lies in the softness of the materials placed next to the skin, and oftentimes includes physical support. The use of these additional materials also provide warmth in cold weather, and they are perspiration-absorbing in warm weather.
For the purpose of covering the lower portion of the male torso, the ordinary "briefs" or "under-shorts" are the most common undergarments worn by men today. These male undergarments have for many years, done an adequate job in satisfying the foregoing intended purposes as articles of clothing. However, none of the male undergarments known in the prior art have provisions for separating the scrotum from the penis and other adjacent parts of the male body while yet fully covering these members.
Accordingly, the many additional benefits to health and comfort which could be obtained through the use of applicant's invention have heretofore never been realized through the use of prior conventional male undergarments. In fact, present male undergarments tend to keep the temperature of the scrotum too high and thus induces perspiration thereof, which is nature's way for providing cooling of a member of the body. Existing undergarments also tend to keep the scrotum in abrasive contact with the penis and other parts of the body.
From a medical textbook entitled "A Companion to Medical Studies", Volume I, by R. Passmore and J. S. Robson, published in 1968, we learn that the temperature of the scrotal testes in man is 1.5.degree. to 2.5.degree. C. lower than the temperature of the abdominal cavity, and that the testes appear to function optimally at this lower temperature. These authors state that even a slight elevation in temperature produces a transient impairment in sperm production.
In the fifth edition of "Textbook of Medical Physiology", by Arthur C. Guyton, M.D., published in 1976 by W. B. Saunders Company, it is confirmed that increased temperatures directly shorten the life of sperm. We also learn that spermatogenesis, which simply means the formation of sperm, may actually be prevented by the increased temperatures through cell degeneration. Dr. Guyton explains that the testicles are located in the dangling scrotum in order to maintain the temperature of these glands below the temperature of the body; that on cold days reflexes cause the scrotal muscles to contract, bringing the testicles close to the body; and, that on warm days the scrotum becomes relaxed so that the testicles normally hang far from the body. In his test, Dr. Guyton further states that the scrotum is designed to act as a cooling mechanism for the testicles, without which spermatogenesis is deficient.
With the use of existing undergarments the freedom of scrotal movement is impaired and improper temperatures may be experienced by their wearers of those prior art undergarments.